Flexible artificial nails and method of forming same

ABSTRACT

A preformed artificial nail, a nail kit including such a nail, and a method of forming such a nail, the nail including a nail bed portion formed of a first material and a free edge portion having an upper portion formed of the first material and lower portion formed of a second material disposed subjacent the first material, the free edge portion being adjacent to and distal the nail bed portion, and the first material being comparatively more flexible than the second material. The lower portion of the free edge portion may include a generally uniform thickness or a varied thickness such as a wedge shape, thickening toward the distal edge of the artificial nail.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional application of U.S. application Ser.No. 13/056,554, filed Apr. 22, 2011, which is a national stageapplication (under 35 U.S.C. §371) of PCT/US2009/052463, filed Jul. 31,2009, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.61/085,635, filed on Aug. 1, 2008.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention pertains generally to human fingernail decorations, andmore particularly to artificial nails that are intended to be adhered toa human's natural fingernail.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

For various aesthetic reasons, many individuals wish to possesselongated fingernails or fingernails having a more finished or polishedappearance. However, some are unable or unwilling to grow their ownnatural fingernails out to the desired length. Alternately, they may nothave the time, skill, or financial wherewithal to maintain or obtain amore finished appearance that may result from well manicured and/orpolished nails. As a result, entire industries have developed around theartificial supplementation and enhancement of natural nails. Suchenhancements may range from manicuring and polishing of naturalfingernails to individually building artificial nails on the naturalnail and nail form from an acrylic powder and liquid which chemicallybond to the nail surface as the artificial nail is built. Between thesetwo extremes, are preformed, artificial nails that are glued orotherwise bonded to a person's own naturally occurring fingernails. Suchnails are readily available to a wide range of users through drug anddepartment stores. Such preformed artificial nails may be clear oropaque, and/or prepolished and/or decorated to provide the desiredappearance.

Artificial nails are commonly made from molded thermoplastic and areavailable in a wide range of lengths and styles. One broad category ofan artificial nail style is the full nail form. As its name implies, thefull nail form simulates the entire human fingernail and includes aproximal edge intended to overlay substantially the entire nail bed anda distal free edge which is intended to extend beyond the fingertip ofthe wearer. The proximal edge is shaped to be disposed substantiallyadjacent or abut against the cuticle of the finger. The distal free edgemay have any of various lengths and shapes, such as oval, square, orflared, depending upon the desired look. Additionally, to furthersimulate a natural fingernail, the artificial nail is typically formedwith a curvature between a first side edge and a second side and acurvature between the proximal and distal edges. Preferably, theartificial nail is sufficiently durable and rigid to withstand thehazards inherent in its use.

Manufacturers typically provide users with a range of nail sizes, e.g.,identified by size numbers 0-9, to accommodate most nail sizes.Generally, artificial nails are packaged together in sets including arange of different sizes so that the purchaser receives differentlyartificial nails for their different fingers. In addition to the set ofdifferent sized artificial nails, the package may also include liquidadhesive and/or peel-off adhesive pads for bonding the artificial nailsto the purchaser's natural fingernails.

It is well known, however, that the contour of natural fingernailsvaries greatly between individuals and even between different fingers onthe same individual. Variations between the curvatures of the preformedartificial nail and the natural nail, however, may affect the integrityof the attachment to the nail, the comfort to the wearer, and theaesthetic appeal of the nail when secured to the natural nail. Forexample, some individuals have one or more relatively flat nail beds.When attaching an artificial nail that is more curved than the naturalnail bed, there will be a gap between the artificial and natural nailbed. In order to adequately bond the artificial nail to the nail bed, aproportionally greater amount of adhesive must be applied. The bestbond, however, is obtained from a thin layer of glue between adjacentlydisposed artificial and natural nail surfaces. A greater amount of gluemay result in the formation of air pockets within the volume of glue,weakening the bond. Consequently, the use of a greater amount of gluemay actually result in a less durable bond between the artificial andnatural nails, and shorten wear time. Moreover, when the user pressesthe more arched artificial nail downward against the flatter naturalnail bed of the user, and the bond is established, the artificial nailwill seek to return to its natural, more arched free position. As aresult, this pulling on the natural nail bed can cause the usersignificant pain and discomfort.

It has been difficult, if not impossible, to produce artificial nailshaving degrees of curvature between the first and second side edges andproximal and distal edges that accommodate all natural fingernails.While manufacturers may produce a large number of artificial nails witha variety of curves, this solution is undesirable and impracticalbecause of the associated increase in manufacturing costs. As a result,manufactures typically produce a set of preformed artificial nails havevarying widths and including set degrees of curvature.

The assignee of the present disclosure has proposed the manufacture anduse of an artificial nail that tapers from the distal edge or free edgeportion to the proximal edge. In this way, the thinner structure of thenail bed portion of the artificial nail, which is adapted to be disposedalong the user's natural nail bed, is relatively flexible, as comparedto the free edge portion of the artificial nail, wherein the thickerstructure provides greater strength to the artificial nail. The designis disclosed in greater detail in U.S. Publication 2007-0051384A1, whichwas filed Aug. 16, 2005, and is based upon provisional application60/601895, filed Aug. 16, 2004.

It has also been proposed to provide a two-part nail including a partialunderlay of a deformable material beneath a polymeric body, as disclosedin U.S. Pat. No. 7,150,281. The underlay of deformable material thatextends to the proximal edge of or beyond the proximal edge of thestiffer polymeric body to form the proximal end of the artificial nailto be disposed adjacent the user's cuticle.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides a preformed artificial nail that is designed toallow the artificial nail to flex and conform to the curved shape of anail bed of a natural fingernail along the nail bed portion, whilemaintaining the strength and durability of conventional nails. Thepreformed artificial nail is formed of first and second materials, thefirst material being comparatively more flexible than the secondmaterial. The artificial nail includes a nail bed portion and a freeedge portion, the free edge portion being adjacent to and distal thenail bed portion. The free edge portion including an upper portion and alower portion, the lower portion extending subjacent the upper portion.The nail bed portion has a proximal edge defining the proximal edge ofthe artificial nail, which is intended to abut against or be disposedsubstantially adjacent the user's cuticle. The free edge portion has adistal edge defining the distal edge of the artificial nail, which isgenerally intended to extend beyond the tip of the wearer's naturalfingernail. The first material extends substantially from the proximaledge to the distal edge of the artificial nail and forms the nail bedportion and the upper portion of the free edge portion. The secondmaterial forms the lower portion of the free edge portion and extendssubstantially to the distal edge of the artificial nail, the secondmaterial being disposed subjacent the first material along the free edgeportion.

The disclosure also includes a package including a plurality of suchnails, and optionally including adhesive, adhesive pads, an emery board,a manicuring stick, a cleaning pad, an application tool, and/orinstruction or product information.

The disclosure additionally includes a method of forming such anartificial nail utilizing a multipart mold wherein one of the nail bedportion and the upper portion of the free edge portion, or the lowerportion of the free edge portion is molded in a first cavity formed byfirst and second mold portions. The second mold portion is then removedand replaced with a third mold portion, and the other of the nail bedportion and the upper portion of the free edge portion, or the lowerportion of the free edge portion molded to the component already formedin the mold to create the full nail of the structure described above.

In use, the preformed artificial nail may more closely conforms to thenatural nail than traditional single material, single shot nail designs.Accordingly, the arrangement minimizes the chances of formation of airpockets within the layer of glue between the artificial and naturalnails. Thus, it may provide a stronger bond between the artificial nailand the natural fingernail, and a reduction in user discomfort. Theseand other advantages of the invention, as well as additional inventivefeatures, will be apparent from the description of the inventionprovided herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a package of artificial nailsconstructed in accordance with teachings of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of an artificial nail of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side, cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a side, cross-sectional view, similar to FIG. 3, of analternate embodiment an artificial nail constructed in accordance withteachings of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Turning now to the drawings, wherein like reference numbers refer tolike elements, there is illustrated in FIG. 1 a nail kit 16 comprising apackage 18 containing a plurality 20 of preformed artificial nailassemblies 22, and in FIG. 2, an enlarged plan view of an artificialnail 22 of FIG. 1. Referring to FIG. 2, each artificial nail 22 has aproximal edge 30 and a distal edge 32, the area between the proximal anddistal edges 30, 32 generally defining the nail bed portion 34 and thefree edge portion 36. The artificial nails 22 further include right andleft side edges 37, 38. The length of the artificial nail 22 is definedbetween the proximal and distal edges 30, 32, while the width of thenail body is defined between the left and right side edges 37, 38.

So that the artificial nail 22 appears natural and appropriately sitsupon the wearer's fingernail, the nail 22 is generally formed with acurved or an arched shape between the right and left side edges 37, 38,and a generally less arched contour between the proximal and distaledges 30, 32. The artificial nail 22 includes an upper surface 40 and alower surface 42. In use, the proximal edge 30 of the artificial nail 22is adapted to be placed generally adjacent the user's cuticle with lowersurface 42 of the nail bed portion 34 being adapted to be placedadjacent the user's natural nail bed. The free edge portion 36 isadapted to typically extend beyond the end of the user's finger with thedistal edge 32 generally being disposed at or beyond the end of theuser's natural nail when properly placed.

To enable the artificial nail 22 to abut against and generally trace thecuticle, the proximal edge 30 is typically shaped as a rounded curveextending between the left and right side edges 37, 38. In theembodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the distal edge 32, in contrastto the proximal edge 30, is generally squared-off. However, the shape ofthe distal edge 32 is a function of fashion and the squared-offappearance is only one example of the possible shapes that the distaledge can have. By way of example only, the shape of the distal edge 32could alternately be rounded, relatively pointed, expanded and/orflattened at along the free edge portion 36.

To bond the artificial nail to the natural fingernail, a liquid adhesive44 (see FIG. 1) or an adhesive pad (not shown) is typically placedbetween the lower surface 42 and the nail bed of the natural fingernailwhile the artificial nail 22 and natural fingernail are pressedtogether. Preferably, the adhesive or adhesive pad is degradable topermit easy removal of the artificial nail with an appropriate, safesolution. Although not illustrated in this embodiment, the artificialnails 22 may include structure to assist in the application of theartificial nail 22 to a user's natural nail, such as an application tab,for example, which may be similar to that illustrated in U.S.application Ser. No. 11/739,371 filed Apr. 24, 2007, which is likewiseassigned to the assignee of this disclosure and incorporated herein byreference, or an alternate design.

The nail kit package 18 typically includes an outer covering 46, here inthe form of a box, having at least one transparent portion 48 forviewing the contents of the package 18. The package 18 further includesan inner support housing 50 that generally retains the contents of thepackage 18 in position within the outer covering 46. The inner supporthousing 50 is typically formed of a polymeric material, although it maybe of an alternate material, such as cardboard. The inner supporthousing 50 generally includes a plurality of recessed areas 52, andadditional contents of the package 18 may be retained in a rear openportion of the inner support housing 50. The package 18 may additionallycontain items such as, for example, adhesive 44, a rosewood stick, anapplication tool, an emery board, instruction or product information,etc. Although all such possibilities are not illustrated in theembodiment shown, it will be appreciated by those of skill in the artthat the package 18 may additionally contain these and other materials.

Returning now to FIG. 2 and the structure of the artificial nails 22, inorder to provide a more universal fit to user's natural nails, the nailbed portion 34 of the nail 22 is formed of an elastically deformablematerial 54, while the free edge portion 36 is formed of both theelastically deformable material 54 and a relatively stiffer material 56.The relatively stiffer material 56 is in the form of a lower portion ofthe free edge portion 36 or an underlayment 58, the elasticallydeformable material 54 extending along an upper portion of free edgeportion 36, the underlayment 58 being disposed subjacent the upperportion along the free edge portion 36. In this way, the elasticallydeformable material 54 of the nail bed portion 54 may readily conform tothe upper surface of the user's natural nail, while the stiffer material56 of the underlayment 58 provides enhanced rigidity to the free edgeportion 34 of the artificial nail 22. Accordingly, the elasticallydeformable material 54 provides comfort, while the stiffer material 56provides rigidity similar to the rigidity of the free edge of a naturalnail.

Preferably, the elastically deformable material 54 extends alongsubstantially the entire length of the artificial nail 22, that is, fromthe proximal edge 30 to the distal edge 32 of the nail 22. It will beappreciated, however, that the deformable material 54 need not extendall of the way to the distal edge 32, so long as it extends over atleast a portion of the underlayment 58. From an aesthetic standpoint,however, a continuous surface of the elastically deformable material 54extending along both the nail bed portion 34 and the free edge portion36 of the artificial nail 22 from the proximal edge 30 to the distaledge 32 provides a smooth upper surface 40, similar to a natural nail.Further, depending upon the opacity of the elastically deformablematerial 54, the delineation of the underlayment 58 in the artificialnail 22 may additionally simulate the coloring or delineation of anatural nail.

The underlayment 58 may have any appropriate structure. For example, theunderlayment 58 may be of a wedge shape, such as it shown in theembodiment of FIG. 3. In the illustrated embodiment, the large end ofthe wedge shape is shown at the distal edge 32 of the nail 22. In thisway, the rigidity of the free edge portion 36 of the nail 22 willgradually increase as it approaches the distal edge 32. Such a structuremay further enhance the comfort of the user when the artificial nail 22is secured to the user's natural nail. It will be appreciated, however,that the underlayment 58 may have an alternate structure. By way offurther example, the underlayment 58 may have a relatively uniformcross-section, such as in the underlayment 58 shown in FIG. 4, althoughan alternate structure may be provided.

As will be appreciated by those of skill in the art, the artificial nail22 may be formed in any appropriate manner. For example, it may beformed in a multi-part, typically three-part mold assembly. That is, twoportions of the mold assembly form a first cavity into which one or theother of the elastically deformable material 54 or the relativelystiffer material 56 is injected, or otherwise transferred to form eitherthe nail bed portion 34 or the free edge portion 36, respectively. Withthe first formed portion 34 or 36 of the nail 22 remaining in the moldassembly, a portion of the mold assembly is then replaced to form acavity in the mold assembly adjacent the first formed portion 34 or 36contained therein. The second material, that is, either the stiffermaterial 56 or the elastically deformable material 54, is injected orotherwise transferred to form the second portion 36, or 34,respectively, of the nail 22, the two materials bonding together alongthe joint 54 of the structure describe herein.

While the relatively stiffer material 56 may be any suitable material,it is preferably a thermoplastic material. By way of example only,suitable thermoplastic materials include acrylonitrile butadiene styrene(ABS), polyethylene (PE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), andpolyethylene-terephthalate (PET) and combinations thereof.

The elastically deformable material 54 can be any suitable material thatis comparatively more flexible and deformable relative to the relativelystiffer material 56. The deformable material 54 may include suchmaterials as a rubber, silicone, or silicone derivative. Examples ofsuch materials include silicone elastomers, silicone-containingmacromers, hydromacromers, TPU (thermo plastic urethane), TPR (thermoplastic rubber), TPE (thermo plastic elastomer), menoprene, and mixturesof the same. Furthermore, the composition of material in the nail bodycan be consistently uniform throughout or can be comprise generallydiscrete regions of differing materials or combinations of materials.

In various embodiments, the elastically deformable material 54 and therelatively stiffer material 56 of the nail bed portion 34 and the freeedge portion 36 of the artificial nails 22 can be opaque, translucent,or transparent. Additionally, the artificial nails can be provided invarious colors and glosses that simulate painted fingernails and mayinclude nail tattoos or charms. Moreover, the artificial nails can bepainted in different colors and patterns to simulate decorations, suchas strips or flowers. In further embodiments, the artificial nails canbe formed with raised protuberances that are shaped to simulate, forexample, decorative flowers.

It will thus be appreciated by those of skill in the art that theartificial nail 22 is provided with a degree of flexibility such thatthe nail bed portion 34 of the preformed artificial nail may beflattened or more arched as it is applied to the user's natural nailsuch that the artificial nail 22 more closely conforms to the user'snatural finger nail. More specifically, inasmuch as the nail bed portion34 more flexible than the free edge portion 36, the nail bed portion 34may be “flattened” to conform to the natural shape of a flatter nailbed. When pressed against the nail bed of a flatter natural fingernail,the portions of the right and left side edges 37, 38 extending along thenail bed portion 34 contact the natural nail bed first and are deflectedapart until the lower surface 42 of the nail bed portion 34 liesadjacent the natural fingernail. Conversely, when pressed against thenail bed of a more arched natural fingernail, the portions of the rightand left side edges 37, 38 of the nail bed portion 34 may be manuallyarched downward to contact the user's natural nail bed until the lowersurface 42 of the nail bed portion 34 conforms to the nail bed of thenatural fingernail. Thus, even if the degree of curvature formed intothe nail bed portion 34 during molding is greater or less than thedegree of curvature of a natural fingernail, the artificial nail 22 maystill be utilized in that it may be conformed to the natural nail bed inplacement.

By conforming the nail bed portion 34 to provide substantially fullcontact the natural nail bed, a stronger bond between the artificialnail 22 and natural fingernail is produced. Specifically, where liquidadhesive or adhesive pads are used to bond the artificial nail 22 to thenatural fingernail, the adhesive bond between the lower surface 42 andthe natural fingernail will have a more uniform profile along thecurvature of the natural fingernail. Additionally, because of the addedflexibility of the deformable material of the nail bed portion 34, thenail 22 will have less of a tendency to separate itself from the naturalfingernail due to the resilient forces of the flexible material, andwill provide the user a more comfortable fit than conventionally molded,single material artificial nails. This is especially advantageous duringapplication when the artificial nail 22 has been pressed adjacent to thenatural fingernail, but the applied adhesive or adhesive pad has yet tocompletely cure. Furthermore, conforming the shape of the nail bedportion 34 to the natural nail bed provides a more natural appearing andaesthetically pleasing joinder between the two.

Inasmuch as the free edge portion 36 of the artificial nail 22 is morerigid than the deformable nail bed portion 34, the free edge portion 36of the artificial nail 22 intended to extend beyond the natural fingernail free edge portion is provided with added strength. Hence, theartificial nail 22 is more resistant to deformation due to impact withexternal objects. Accordingly, the artificial nail 22 provides enhanceddurability and comfort over traditional artificial nails.

All references, including publications, patent applications, andpatents, cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to the sameextent as if each reference were individually and specifically indicatedto be incorporated by reference and were set forth in its entiretyherein.

The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in thecontext of describing the invention (especially in the context of thefollowing claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and theplural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted bycontext. The terms “comprising,” “having,” “including,” and “containing”are to be construed as open-ended terms (i.e., meaning “including, butnot limited to,”) unless otherwise noted. Recitation of ranges of valuesherein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referringindividually to each separate value falling within the range, unlessotherwise indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated intothe specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methodsdescribed herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwiseindicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The useof any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”)provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate the inventionand does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention unlessotherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construedas indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice ofthe invention.

Preferred embodiments of this invention are described herein, includingthe best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the invention.Variations of those preferred embodiments may become apparent to thoseof ordinary skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description. Theinventors expect skilled artisans to employ such variations asappropriate, and the inventors intend for the invention to be practicedotherwise than as specifically described herein. Accordingly, thisinvention includes all modifications and equivalents of the subjectmatter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by applicablelaw. Moreover, any combination of the above-described elements in allpossible variations thereof is encompassed by the invention unlessotherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of forming a preformed artificial nailadapted to substantially cover an upper surface of a user's naturalnail, the upper surface of the natural nail extending from a cuticle andhaving an oppositely disposed free edge and a natural nail bed attachedat the user's finger, the artificial nail having upper and lowersurfaces and comprising a nail bed portion having a proximal edgedefining a proximal edge of the artificial nail and a free edge portionhaving a distal edge defining the distal edge of the artificial nail,the free edge portion being adjacent to and distal the nail bed portion,each of the nail bed portion and the free edge portion having oppositeside edges, said artificial nail being formed of a first material and asecond material, the first material extending substantially from theproximal edge to the distal edge of the artificial nail and forming thenail bed portion, the second material extending along the free edgeportion substantially to the distal edge of the artificial nail, thesecond material being disposed subjacent the first material along thefree edge portion, the method comprising: providing first and secondmold portions presenting at least a first cavity for forming the nailbed portion and an upper portion of the free edge portion of theartificial nail, the second mold portion including a wall for forming aninterface between the upper and lower portions of the free edge portionsof the artificial nail, the wall extending substantially longitudinallyrelative to an artificial nail to be formed, introducing a firstmaterial into the first cavity to form the nail bed portion and theupper portion of the free edge portion of the artificial nail, removingthe second mold portion from the first mold portion, providing a thirdmold portion in cooperation with the first mold portion, the first andthird mold portions containing the first material forming the nail bedportion and upper the portion of the free edge portion of the artificialnail, and at least a second cavity to form the lower portion of the freeedge portion of the artificial nail, and introducing a second materialinto the second cavity to form the portion of the lower free edgeportion of the artificial nail, the lower free edge portion beingdisposed subjacent the upper portion of the free edge portion of theartificial nail, the material from which the nail bed portion and theupper portion of the free edge portion of the artificial nail is formedbeing comparatively more flexible than the material from which the lowerportion of the free edge portion of the artificial nail is formed. 2.The method of claim 1 wherein the lower portion of the free edge portionhas a substantially uniform thickness.
 3. The method of claim 1 whereinthe lower portion of the free edge portion has a thickness thatsubstantially increases from a proximal edge of the free edge portion tothe distal edge of the free portion.
 4. A method of forming a preformedartificial nail adapted to substantially cover, flex and conform to anupper surface of a user's natural nail, the upper surface of the naturalnail extending from a cuticle and having an oppositely disposed freeedge and a natural nail bed attached at the user's finger, theartificial nail comprising an upper surface, a lower surface having auniform profile along the curvature of the natural nail wherein at leasta portion of the lower surface is adapted to be placed adjacent theupper surface of the user's natural nail, a proximal edge adapted to beplaced substantially adjacent the user's cuticle, a distal edge oppositethe proximal edge, a right edge, a left edge opposite the right edge, anail bed portion having a proximal edge defining a proximal edge of theartificial nail and a free edge portion having a distal edge definingthe distal edge of the artificial nail, the free edge portion beingadjacent to and distal the nail bed portion, the free edge portionincluding an upper portion and a lower portion, the lower portionextending subjacent the upper portion, said artificial nail being formedof a first material and a second material, the first material beingcomparatively more flexible than the second material, the first materialextending from the proximal edge and forming the nail bed portion andthe upper portion of at least a portion of the free edge portion, thesecond material forming at least a portion of the lower portion of thefree edge portion, the second material being disposed subjacent thefirst material along the free edge portion, wherein the lower portion ofthe free edge portion has a thickness that substantially increases froma proximal edge of the free edge portion to the distal edge of the freeedge portion such that the rigidity of the free edge portion of the nailgradually increases as it approaches the distal edge, the methodcomprising: providing first and second mold portions presenting at leasta first cavity for forming the nail bed portion and an upper portion ofthe free edge portion of the artificial nail, the second mold portionincluding a wall for forming an interface between the upper and lowerportions of the free edge portions of the artificial nail, the wallextending substantially longitudinally relative to an artificial nail tobe formed, introducing a first material into the first cavity to formthe nail bed portion and the upper portion of the free edge portion ofthe artificial nail, removing the second mold portion from the firstmold portion, providing a third mold portion in cooperation with thefirst mold portion, the first and third mold portions containing thefirst material forming the nail bed portion and upper the portion of thefree edge portion of the artificial nail, and at least a second cavityto form the other of the lower portion of the free edge portion of theartificial nail, and introducing a second material into the secondcavity to form the portion of the lower free edge portion of theartificial nail, the lower free edge portion being disposed subjacentthe upper portion of the free edge portion of the artificial nail, thematerial from which the nail bed portion and the upper portion of thefree edge portion of the artificial nail is formed being comparativelymore flexible than the material from which the lower portion of the freeedge portion of the artificial nail is formed.
 5. The method of claim 4wherein the lower portion of the free edge portion has a wedge shape. 6.The method of claim 1, further comprising forming a proximal edge of thelower free edge portion closer to the distal edge of the artificial nailthan the proximal edge of the artificial nail.
 7. The method of claim 4,further comprising forming a proximal edge of the lower free edgeportion closer to the distal edge of the artificial nail than theproximal edge of the artificial nail.